Browsing by Author "Tham-Agyekum, E.K."
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Item Beyond certification: Investigating the nexus between compliance with sustainable agriculture standard and livelihood assets of certified smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana(Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2023) Ankuyi, F.; Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Ankrah, D.; et al.Studies have shown that farmers appear to deviate from set certification standards after they have passed audits and received their certificate. This usually makes them vulnerable and affects their livelihood assets. Therefore, this study set out to investigate the nexus between certified smallholder cocoa farmers’ continual compliance with sustainable agriculture standard (SAS) and their livelihood assets. The research was conducted in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality of Ghana. Data were collected from a survey of 400 cocoa farmers. Ordered logistic regression modelling, Chi-square test, frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages were used to analyze data. The findings show that 43.5% of the certified cocoa farmers complied moderately with SAS. Gender, farm size, land ownership, access to credit, engaging in income-generating activities outside of farming, assistance provided by License Buying Companies and extension contact were the determinants of farmers’ level of compliance with SAS. The study revealed a statistically significant association between farmer compliance and livelihood assets. Efforts to increase access to credit for cocoa farmers must be accompanied by efforts to promote and educate farmers on sustainable farming practices.Item Impact of children’s appropriate work participation in cocoa farms on household welfare: Evidence from Ghana(Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2023) Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Wongnaa, C.A.; Kwapong, N.A.; et al.This study examines how children engaged in cocoa farming in Ghana affect household welfare. Data was gathered from 384 cocoa producers using a multistage sampling technique and analysed employing the Cragg double hurdle and propensity score method. The study found that only 2.3 % of cocoa farmers highly used children for cocoa activities. Additionally, household size, cooperative membership, and credit access were found to have significant impacts on both the use and extent of use of children on cocoa farms. Moreover, cocoa farmers who used children experienced improvements in their income, food security and assets compared to those who did not use children. The study also confirms the reality of the practice of employing children on cocoa plan tations in Ghana. Harnessing the considerable advantages of credit access and cooperative membership, we emphasize the importance of extension agents sensitizing cocoa farmers about the merits of forming co operatives. This approach could serve as a means of obtaining group/individual credits to support cocoa pro duction. Furthermore, in light of the notable improvements in the welfare of cocoa farmers, it is imperative for COCOBOD to take decisive action in invigorating the regulation against child labor and instead embrace agri cultural technologies as viable alternatives.Item Mobile agricultural extension delivery and climate-smart agricultural practices in a time of a pandemic: Evidence from southern Ghana(Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 2023) Jones, E.O.; Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Ankuyi, F.; et al.During the Covid-19 era, Ghana’s cocoa sector relied heavily on mobile phone agriculture for extension delivery services, aiming to enhance climate-smart agricultural activities and overcome physical limitations. However, there is limited literature on the role of mobile phones in extension delivery during the pandemic. The study investigated the effectiveness of mobile phone agriculture in extension delivery and its relationship with climate smart agricultural practices in Ghana’s cocoa sector during the pandemic. The study selected 152 community extension agents in the Ashanti Region. The cross-sectional data was estimated using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations Pearson, Point Biserial, Spearman rho, and ordinary least squares regression. The result indicates a positive correlation between mobile phone agriculture extension delivery and climate-smart agricultural practices. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between climate-smart practices and factors such as knowledge, skills, frequency, and intensity of phone use. However, years of experience and age showed a negative relationship. The findings showed that funding, knowledge of use, and years of experience as influential factors in climate-smart agricultural activities facilitated by mobile phone extensions. To reach un derserved cocoa communities, the Ghana Cocoa Board must enhance the capacity of community extension agents. Countries considering an intensive adoption of mobile phone agriculture for innovative extension ser vices in climate-smart agriculture should consider factors like knowledge, skills, duration, frequency, and financial investments in acquiring, converting, applying, protecting, and distributing climate-smart agricultural information. The study contributes to mitigating the negative impact of climate change through the application of climate-smart information in agriculture.